Phrasal verbs with give
Give is about handing something over, and its phrasal verbs are often about letting something go: give back, give away, give in, give up.
Phrasal verbs with give by level
- A1–A21give back
- B16give up, give in, give away
- B25give up, give in, give away
- C1–C23give back, give away, give off
Each meaning has its own level, from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary, or our estimate (~) where they give none.
A1–A2The first ones to learn 1 meaning
- give backgive something backA2
return something to the person it belongs to
Can I borrow your pen? I’ll give it back.
B1Common, with a clear meaning 6 meanings
- give upgive something upB1
stop doing or having something, often a habit
My dad gave up smoking when I was born.
- give upgive upB1
stop trying, because something is too hard
Don’t give up. You’re nearly there.
- give ingive inB1
finally agree to something after refusing
The kids asked for ice cream all day, and I gave in.
- give ingive something inB1
hand in a piece of work to a teacher or manager
Please give in your tests at the end.
- give awaygive something awayB1
give something to someone for free
We gave away all our old clothes.
- give outgive something outB1
give something to each of a number of people
The teacher gave out the exam papers.
B2Second meanings and more idiomatic ones 5 meanings
- give upgive somebody or something upB2
let someone else have something, or stop having it
He gave up his seat to an old man.
- give ingive inB2
accept that you are beaten and stop fighting
The team never gave in, even when they were losing.
- give awaygive somebody or something awayB2
show or tell something that was meant to be secret
Don’t give away the ending of the film!
- give outgive outB2
stop working or be used up
His legs gave out near the top of the hill.
- give offgive something offB2
produce a smell, heat, light or gas
The fire gave off a lot of smoke.
C1–C2Less common and more formal 3 meanings
- give backgive something backC1
let someone have something again
A good sleep gave me my energy back.
- give awaygive something awayC1
lose an advantage carelessly, especially in sport
The defender gave away a penalty.
- give offgive something offC1
seem to have a quality others can feel
She gives off a calm, friendly feeling.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use phrasal verbs with give in real conversations
- New words come with a picture card and an example
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Phrasal verbs with give that people mix up
Close in meaning, but not the same.
Phrasal verbs with give: exercise with answers
Eight questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The team _____ two easy goals.
Give away: lose an advantage carelessly, especially in sport. More on give away
-
2She _____ the book she borrowed.
Give back: return something to the person it belongs to. More on give back
-
3Volunteers were giving _____ free water. (give something to each of a number of people)
Give out: give something to each of a number of people. More on give out
-
4Which is correct? (hand in a piece of work to a teacher or manager)
Give in is separable here and the object is a noun, so both are right. More on give in
-
5The shop _____ a warm, old-fashioned feel.
Give off: seem to have a quality others can feel. More on give off
-
6He gave up his seat to an old man. What does it mean here?
Give up: let someone else have something, or stop having it. More on give up
Phrasal verbs with give: FAQ
How many phrasal verbs with give are there?
Dictionaries list many more, but these 6 are the ones learners meet most, with 15 meanings between them. Each has its own page with examples, common mistakes and a short quiz.
What are the most common phrasal verbs with give?
Start with the A1 and A2 ones: give back. Then the B1 ones, which are common in everyday conversation.
Which phrasal verbs with give are separable?
6 of them have at least one separable meaning, where the object can go in the middle: give back, give up, give in, give away, give out, give off. With a pronoun like it or them, the object must go in the middle.